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Community Services at Chabad of Marina del Rey

Senior Citizen's Center

We learn that we must respect our elders. At Chabad of Marina del Rey's senior citizen programs we strive to provide an enjoyable and welcoming environment for over 120 Senior Citizens every day. Our program is non-sectarian and we welcome individuals from all faiths and backgrounds.

At Chabad of Marina we serve meals to over 120 senior citizens every day. Through nourishing the body we also nourish their spirit, uplifting their days and providing a interactive and social environment to many who would otherwise be home-bound.

Today, in our busy world, our seniors are often neglected by their families. Our Senior Citizen Program provides the love and attention to many people who would otherwise be alone. At Chabad of Marina del Rey they find not only a wonderful place to spend their time and delicious hot meals every day, but also a family who cares about them.

Drug Rehabilitation

Today more than ever, the destructive effects of drug and alcohol abuse threaten every facet of society. For diverse people from all walks of life, drugs too often become a way of coping with unhappiness, loneliness, fear, and stress. The consequences of addiction on their lives — and on the lives of those around them — can be truly devastating.

Since 1972, thousands of men from all faiths, all races, and all backgrounds have received successful intervention from Chabad. Chabad views drug and alcohol abuse as a symptom of a deeper problem, and has designed a program that uses psychological therapy and a Twelve Step model to concentrate on the underlying issues that contribute to dependence. We focus on establishing a structure that promotes recovery and improves the quality of life, placing special significance on ethical and moral growth that is so vital to the development of personal integrity.

Crisis Intervention

Study and prayer is important, but when a person is in need of help, one must stop thinking and act. This approach has characterized Chabad-Lubavitch from its beginnings.

The first Chabad-Lubavitch crisis intervention efforts can be traced to the late 1700s, when Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad-Lubavitch, actively urged Jewish communities in Europe to support impoverished communities in the land of Israel. He sent desperately needed financial support and encouraged many people to move to the Holy Land. In 1814, Chabad-Lubavitch led the reconstruction of the Jewish communities in White Russia that had been devastated by Napoleon’s war.

In the United States, Chabad-Lubavitch was actively involved in rescuing Jews from Europe, and in 1945, established a relief office for refugees in Paris, and initiated efforts to improve the welfare of Jewish farmers in rural America. Upon assuming leadership of Chabad-Lubavitch in 1950, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, greatly expanded Chabad- Lubavitch’s community activism and social services.

To this end, Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries undergo preparation and training in counseling and crisis intervention. Every Chabad-Lubavitch emissary has an open heart and open home for those in need, available to the community and eager and willing to help.

• Established in 1774, Chabad-Lubavitch is one of the oldest charities and social services organizations in the world today.

• In 2003, Chabad-Lubavitch distributed more than 12 million meals to needy families around the world.

Friendship Circle

Chabad’s Friendship Circle matches teen volunteers with children who have special needs, and their time together benefits everyone involved. Children of all faiths who must cope with autism or other disabilities look forward to frequent visits from kind, caring peers — and the volunteers feel the joy of befriending someone less fortunate.

The Friendship Circle program began in 1994, and there are now almost 60 chapters across America — including a dozen in California. Nationwide, more than 10,000 volunteers and families are participating, plans are in the works to expand the program further.

The Friendship Circle is committed to serving all members of the community regardless of religious affiliation. In addition to helping those in need, the Circle empowers and enriches its network of volunteers, the majority of whom are teenagers, by enabling them to reap the vast rewards of giving of themselves.

The Friendship Circle consists of five parts — volunteers, children, parents, staff, and supporters. The true beauty of the Circle is how all of the elements link together to form a seamless community of friendship. Just as a circle has neither end nor beginning, our community offers promise, hope and love that have no bounds. Who can say who benefits most from the program — the child with special needs who learns how to ride a bicycle, or her parents who get a much needed break, or the volunteer whose spirit soars to new heights?

The Friendship Circle is committed to serving all members of the community regardless of religious affiliation.

• In 1995, the Lubavitcher Rebbe was awarded the Congressional gold Medal, an honor bestowed to only 100 Americans since Thomas Jefferson, for “outstanding and lasting contributions toward improvements in world education, morality, and acts of charity.”

• Around the globe, more than 4,600 of the Rebbe’s emissaries and a workforce of over 20,000 continue his mission to create a world of goodness, & kindness.